Armenian, Azerbaijani Presidents' December meeting confirmed: FM

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents will met in December, according to an agreement reached at the December 3 ‪OSCE Ministerial Council in Belgrade, Armenia's Foreign Minister told reporters.

The time and venue of the meeting will further be clarified, Edward Nalbandian said.

“We will disclose details about the meeting as soon as possible, although Azerbaijan keeps breaking agreements,” the Minister said.

According to him, the statement issued by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairing countries' Foreign Ministers was addressed exclusively to Azerbaijan. Nalbandian noted that not only the Foreign Ministers, but also the Co-chairing countries' Presidents have issued similar statements.

The heads of delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairing countries issued a statement, reaffirming their joint commitment to mediating a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

According to the top officials - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, French State Secretary for European Affairs Harlem Desir - the parties should continue discussions. Keeping in mind the Sochi, Wales, and Paris Summits of 2014 on elements of a comprehensive settlement, they should intensify their dialogue in 2016 on the basis of proposals currently under discussion.

"We especially condemn the use of mortars and other heavy weaponry, and deeply regret the civilian casualties these weapons have caused. There is no military solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and there is no justification for the death and injury of innocent civilians. We appeal to the sides in the strongest possible terms to reduce tensions and protect lives. The Co-chairs have proposed risk-reduction measures that we encourage the sides to adopt, including an OSCE investigation mechanism,” the statement said.